B

Baroness O’Loan (CB)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 21 November 2025

Debate

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Contribution

My Lords, these amendments seek to prevent and/or identify coercive behaviours and pressure which may fall short of coercion, and situations in which vulnerable people may be encouraged to make what is actually an involuntary decision to end their own life that they would not otherwise have made. There is no definition of coercion or pressure in the Bill, although new offences are created by Clause 34. That is unfortunate. Arrangements made did not enable the taking of evidence from those with disabilities until the recent Select Committee on the Bill. Liz Carr said in evidence to that committee: “The absence of our … involvement has led to disability rights organisations making a formal complaint to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”. That is very serious. We know that 40% of those who die by assisted dying in Canada have lived with disabilities.

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